2021 NFL draft: If healthy, Rondale Moore is a Steve Smith clone

16 March 2021 at 11:21 pm·25-min read

Leading up to the 2021 NFL draft, which starts April 29, Yahoo Sports will count down our top 100 overall prospects. We’ll count them down in groups of five for Nos. 100-51, followed by more in-depth reports on our top 50 players, with help from our scouting assistant, Liam Blutman. We reserve the right to make changes to players’ grades and evaluations based on injury updates, pro-day workouts or late-arriving information from NFL teams.

Here are how we use our prospect grades for the 2021 NFL draft. (Albert Corona/Yahoo Sports) (Albert Corona/Yahoo Sports)

55. Texas EDGE Joseph Ossai

6-foot-4, 256 pounds

Yahoo Sports draft grade: 5.85 — potential starter

TL;DR scouting report: Highly athletic rusher who camped out in opponents’ backfields in 2020, but technical refinement and handling power are concerns

Games watched: LSU (2019), Utah (2019), TCU (2020), Oklahoma State (2020), Iowa State (2020),

The skinny: A 4-star Rivals recruit, Ossai was a highly touted prep player who signed with the Longhorns and saw action right away as a true freshman in 2018, making 20 tackles (one for a loss), one sack and one forced fumble. In 2019, he collected 90 tackles (13.5 for losses) with five sacks, two interceptions, one forced fumble, three batted passes and one blocked kick. Ossai also was named honorable mention All-Big 12 and was the Defensive MVP of the Alamo Bowl win over Utah that year. Ossai took his game to a new level in 2020, making 55 tackles (16 for losses), 5.5 sacks, three forced fumbles and two pass breakups in nine starts, earning first-team AP All-America and first-team all-conference honors. After skipping Texas’ bowl game, Ossai declared early for the 2021 NFL draft.

Upside: Terrific athlete. Long, chiseled specimen who wins the prospect beauty contest — long arms (33 7/8 inches) and great weight distribution. Turned in a killer pro day, with a 4.63-second 40-yard dash, broad jumped 10-foot-11, vertical jumped 41.5 inches and knocked out 19 reps on the bench press.

Tremendous production in 2020 — 17.5 tackles for loss, 5.5 sacks, two passes defended and three forced fumbles. Caught fire as a pass rusher as soon as the Longhorns moved him into his proper “Jack” rushing role prior to the 2019 bowl game vs. Utah after previously playing an off-the-ball LB spot.

Channeled natural pass-rush skill with frenetic energy over the past two years. Added a nice swim move to his arsenal. Plays with good burst and a hot motor. Uses his length extremely well to win the leverage battle. Uses a big initial punch to throw blockers off balance. Can turn the corner and flatten quickly to get to the QB. Never stops chasing the ball — all gas, no brakes.

Texas linebacker Joseph Ossai put on a show at the school's Pro Day. (AP Photo/Eric Gay) (ASSOCIATED PRESS)

Has lined up at inside linebacker and as an outside rush ‘backer. Intriguing athletic traits to forecast him into a “Joker” type of role in the NFL, where he can attack from multiple angles and alignments — fluid enough in space to expand his duties in time. Has multiple ways to defeat blocks. Experienced in coverage prior to last season. Naturally light on his feet — grew up playing soccer and various other sports. Only started football in his teens.

Plays hungry. Got his tail whipped for 3-plus quarters against Oklahoma State’s Teven Jenkins but found a way to get around him on the game-clinching sack on his 85th defensive snap of the game. No “off” button — brings four quarters of fire to the field, plus more if necessary. Mustang who turned in two other games of 80-plus snaps in his career.

Team captain whose practice and game intensity, work ethic and focus have roundly been praised by the staff and scouts. Doesn’t just turn it on in public — behind-closed-doors worker who is determined to make it.

Downside: Wins more now with effort than with technique. Still requires technical refinement as a rusher. Learning how to string moves together and counterattack — needs better rush plans. Doesn’t always keep his feet beneath him on his rush. Only one true year of full-time pass-rush experience.

Get-off can be quicker. Pad level can rise at times — will stand up in his rush (usually from a down stance) and give blockers too much of his chest if he doesn’t land early hands. Struggles to disengage once linemen get their hands inside.

Delivers some violent hits but also can bounce off some tackle attempts. Missed a slew of tackles in 2019 — not as effective breaking down in space on his feet. Learning how to shed blocks in the run game and can’t always hold the point. On the ground way too much.

Worked over by Jenkins and could struggle to defeat top-shelf NFL tackles. Struggles to match power and might not be ready for a three-down role immediately. Needs to add more anchor strength.

Scouts will tell you that his athleticism doesn’t always translate — doesn’t play with quite the explosion you’d expect. More of a straight-line mover and can show some stiffness.

Best-suited destination: Ossai has two things that will go a long way in the NFL: effort and athleticism. That’s a pretty good starting kit, and it will give him some level of mass appeal.

But there also likely will be an adjustment period for him as Ossai enters the league, so patience is required. He feels like the kind of player the Colts would draft and develop, but Ossai has some skill-set overlap with 2020 Jaguars first-rounder K’Lavon Chaisson — perhaps just a bit less explosive and bendy. We view Ossai fitting best as a 3-4 edge player.

Did you know:Ossai was raised in Nigeria, arriving with his family to the United States when he was 10 years old. He’d never seen American football when he got here, running track and playing soccer before giving football a shot his freshman year of high school. By his senior season, Ossai was named the Houston Touchdown Club’s Defensive Player of the Year and made himself into a top college recruit.

Player comp: Chaisson

Expected draft range: There is a wide range of opinions over where Ossai could go, anywhere from late Round 1 to Round 3. Somewhere between 25th and 75th overall feels like a safe, if not big, range to project.

54. North Dakota State OT-OG Dillon Radunz

6-foot-6, 304 pounds

Yahoo Sports draft grade: 5.85 — potential starter

TL;DR scouting report: Impressive FCS tackle-guard prospect who is athletic and plays hard, but he didn’t quite dominate on that level the way you might expect

Games watched: Delaware (2019), Illinois State (2019), Southern Illinois (2019), Central Arkansas (2020),

The skinny: A zero-star Rivals recruit out of rural Minnesota, Radunz received only two FBS offers: Mizzou and Wyoming. Instead, he chose FCS-powerhouse Bison in the middle of their incredible run of championships. He sat out as a redshirt in 2016 and played 15 snaps in the 2017 opener against Mississippi Valley State before suffering a season-ending knee injury. In 2018, Radunz won the left tackle job and started all 15 games and earned second-team all-conference mention. As a 16-game starter at left tackle, he was named first-team AP All-America and first-team Missouri Valley Conference honors in his junior season. FCS canceled fall football in 2020, but Radunz started the Bison’s one “showcase” game against Central Arkansas last year before attending the 2021 Senior Bowl.

Upside: Nice athlete who stands nearly 6-foot-6 with an 80 1/4-inch wingspan — almost looks like a jumbo tight end in pads.

Pro-day testing numbers put that on display, namely with a 4.53-second short shuttle, a 7.27-second 3-cone time, the vertical jump (32 inches) and the broad jump (9-foot-4) — all in the top 15th percentile. Also good results in the 40-yard dash (5.11 seconds) and on the bench press (24 reps).

Plays hard and tough. Shoots out of his stance and operates with a defensive mentality. Delivers a nice punch to open up contact — works hands independently and gets them inside. Engages his hips and works from the bottom up. Tough to bully.

Should factor into man- and zone-blocking systems — handled both well in college. Can pull out into space, attack on the move and bury smaller defenders in space. Gets his feet squared up before he strikes. Loves riding defenders out of the screen.

Successful pass blocker — allowed only 24 pressures on 715 career pass-blocking snaps. Effective cut blocker. Operated in a diverse offense that combined pro concepts with spread-option elements. Could be a five-position projection or ideal sixth OL to start — has practiced at almost every OL spot and took a few snaps at center in games.

Played guard and tackle at the Senior Bowl and generally performed well — good win rate in one-on-one pass rush drills and a few flashes. Athletic and smart enough to handle just about any job given to him.

Mature and grounded. Strong character. Knows what it takes to win — was part of program that went 33-0 and won two national titles with him in the lineup and led his high school to back-to-back state titles his final two years.

Downside: Less-than-ideal arm length (33 1/4 inches) and hand size (9 1/8 inches). Has a lean base in need of some physical development, but his frame might be close to maxed out. Could be a guard on some teams’ boards.

Needed to put on weight before Senior Bowl to cross the 300-pound mark — not a lot of sand in his pants. Arrived at the program in the 260s and will always require effort to keep weight on. Was at 301 for his pro day.

Lower-body anchor and strength are concerns. Plays too upright, which neutralizes his best asset. Also will lunge and dive on straightforward run plays and can whiff on initial contact. Will hop out in his stance and overset in pass protection. Only so experienced at taking true pass sets despite starting for two-plus seasons. Will bend and mistime his punch. Power players could overwhelm him at the point of attack.

Athletic traits don’t always translate on the field. Didn’t consistently dominate and overwhelm FCS competition. Can be seen losing ground as a pass blocker to quick edge rushers — might never have ideal recovery quickness to seal the edge. Struggles with inside moves and lets defenders cross his face.

This play from the Central Arkansas game indicates some of this. Although Radunz isn’t to blame for the lost ball here, you can see how he was late to help inside and prevent a pressure:

Dillon Radunz occasionally will miss interior pressure and fail to help out in time.

Plays hard but one scout told us he might need to learn better preparation leading up to games. Played in only one game the past year after FCS football largely shut down.

Best-suited destination: Radunz is a more accomplished run blocker than pass protector at this point, so he’d fit best with a multiple scheme such as the Baltimore Ravens, Tennessee Titans, Minnesota Vikings, New England Patriots or Cleveland Browns than as a left tackle expected to pass block 40-plus snaps a game right away. Others might view that differently, and some teams will pencil him inside in the NFL.

Did you know: Radunz and his two siblings (sister Danielle and younger brother Nick, who joined the Bison as a guard last year) lost their father, Jeff, when Dillon was 10.

“I almost had to step up to be the man of the house, which was difficult since I was still in middle school,” Radunz said in 2019.

Dillon honored his late father with a tattoo on his right shoulder and continues to do so before games.

“I’m down on a knee, talking to my dad,[and I] kind of look up and try to imagine in the stands and feel his presence there somewhere,” he said.

Player comp: Minnesota Vikings 2020 second-rounder Ezra Cleveland.

Expected draft range: Top-75 pick who could go somewhat early on Day 2.

53. Purdue WR Rondale Moore

5-foot-9, 180 pounds

Yahoo Sports draft grade: 5.86 — potential starter

TL;DR scouting report: Mighty-mite slot receiver with explosive ability to produce instant offense, but health concerns and lack of experience are worrisome

Games watched: Ohio State (2018), Vanderbilt (2019), Minnesota (2020), Rutgers (2020),

The skinny: A 3-star Rivals recruit, Moore had committed to Texas but flipped to Purdue. He turned in one of the best freshman seasons in recent memory in 2018, with 114 catches (most in FBS) for 1,258 yards and 12 TDs; ran the ball 21 times for 213 yards and two scores; and returned 12 punts for 62 yards and 33 kickoffs for 662 yards. That season, Moore was named consensus first-team All-America (all-purpose player), first-team all-Big Ten, Big Ten Wide Receiver of the Year, Big Ten Freshman of the Year and won the Paul Hornung Award winner (given to the nation's most versatile player). He scorched No. 1 Ohio State for 12 catches for 170 yards and two rushes for 24 yards in a stunning upset of the Buckeyes.

In the first four games of 2019, Moore caught 29 passes for 387 yards and two TDs; ran back nine kickoffs for 151 yards and five punts for 36 yards; and ran three times for 3 yards before missing the remainder of the season with a hamstring injury. He initially opted out of the 2020 season because of COVID-19 but opted back in when the Big Ten later resumed play. Moore missed three games with what was reported to be a lower-body injury but caught 35 passes for 270 yards and ran six times for 35 yards and a TD in the three games he played. He declared early for the 2021 draft.

Upside: Athletically blessed. Once ran a 40-yard dash in the mid-4.3s, topped 40 inches in the vertical jump and 11 feet in the broad jump and bettered 20 reps on the 225-pound bench press. Squatted 600 pounds as an 180-pound freshman at Purdue. Could put on an absolute show at his pro day March 23.

Thick, RB-like build with small tree trunks for legs. Physicality belies his lack of size. Bulldog style and mentality — not at all a finesse player. Doesn’t tiptoe out of bounds; tries to max out yards and isn’t afraid of taking contact. Carries great strength and explosion for a sub-200 pound player to break tackles. Strong off the line to get away from press coverage.

Looks like he’s shot out of a cannon off the line. Outstanding quickness to get into and out of his routes. Disguises his intentions well and doesn’t let DBs get a bead on what he’s running. Reaches top speed with urgency. Has shown he can win one-on-one matchups vertically. Slot weapon who can corkscrew defenders into the ground.

Terrific yards-after-catch ability — electric weapon. Moves like a speed back with the ball in his hands — can juke a defender or bust through a tackle attempt. Great third-down target for those gotta-have-it conversions. Outstanding hands to haul in tough catches — cut down on his dropped-pass rate each season. Hauled in three out of every four passes thrown his way.

When healthy, Rondale Moore is one of the most explosive playmakers in the country. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey, File) (ASSOCIATED PRESS)

Do-it-all performer — effective as receiver, runner and returner. Has lined up as a “Wildcat” QB and even caught passes from out of the backfield. Volume target — caught 11 or more passes in half his college games and six or more receptions in all but four of 20 college outings. Had five games with 17 or more touches. Takes a beating and keeps ticking.

Highly respected personal and football character. Outstanding work ethic and highly motivated — has been known to text or call his quarterbacks late at night to ask them X’s and O’s questions. Practices and plays with high intensity. Mentally and physically tough.

Terrific student — earned a 3.71 as a freshman at a tough academic school. Shows up to meetings 20 minutes early and stays late to do extra work. Still very young — won’t turn 21 until June.

Downside: Limited college tape — only seven games and 350 snaps since his breakout freshman season. Multiple injuries will cloud his medical evaluation — at least three known injuries (including hand surgery in the 2019 offseason) that must be fully diagnosed. Durability could be a week-to-week concern. There was mystery surrounding his 2020 injury that kept him out to start the Boilermakers’ season.

Lack of length could limit his vertical responsibilities. Even with his leaping ability, high-pointing the ball against long-levered corners could be a limiting factor. Limited track record of success in contested-catch situations.

Wasn’t asked to go deep much in college — only 24 targets of 20 air yards or longer. Vast majority of his receptions came near the line of scrimmage or behind it, mostly on screens. Limited route tree and limited outside WR experience. Might be a full-time slot for most teams. Will gear down at the catch point at times, stunting his momentum.

Lack of size will always be a bugaboo. Can’t extend too far beyond his frame. Suffered through some concentration drops early in his career. Didn’t hit any home runs on punt or kick returns and wasn’t asked to handle that duty in 2020.

Best-suited destination: There are flashes of ability in Moore’s game tape that suggest he could (and should) receive a more diverse set of assignments. That should come in time as he learns the tricks of the trade at the next level. Early in his career, Moore profiles as a slot receiver, primary punt returner and occasional trick-play weapon for a team that has its outside weapons settled. When healthy, he’s a difference maker.

Did you know: Moore flipped from Texas to Purdue partly because he, head coach Jeff Brohm and co-offensive coordinator/QB coach Brian Brohm all played at the same high school (Louisville’s Trinity High).

Moore didn’t go to high school with Boston Celtics forward Romeo Langford, but the two are good friends who often battle it out in "Fortnite."

Player comp: We’ve made a rule of never comparing prospects to Steve Smith, but Moore is about as close as it gets. From the build to the athleticism to the competitive fire, along with the size and injury concerns coming out, there’s a lot of crossover.

Expected draft range: Round 2

52. Texas OT Samuel Cosmi

6-foot-6, 309 pounds

Yahoo Sports draft grade: 5.87 — potential starter

TL;DR scouting report: Athletic left tackle who projects as a solid pro, even if there might be an adjustment to NFL power and speed

Games watched: LSU (2019), Oklahoma (2020), Iowa State (2020), Baylor (2020),

The skinny: A 3-star Rivals recruit, Cosmi initially committed to Houston before flipping to the Longhorns once Tom Herman got the head-coaching job. After redshirting his first year, Cosmi started 13 of 14 games at right tackle and was named to the Freshman All-America team. He shifted to left tackle in 2019, earning second-team All-Big 12 mention in 13 starts. In 2020, Cosmi started Texas’ first eight games at left tackle and then opted out for the rest of the season.

Upside: Put on a pro-day clinic — ran a scorching 4.85-second 40-yard dash (with a 10-yard split of 1.68 seconds and a 20-yard split of 2.75), logged a great broad-jump number (9-foot-9) and put up a stout 36 bench-press reps.

Built in a left-tackle laboratory. Good length, good weight distribution and well-chiseled frame. Moves well in space and can hit moving targets on the run. Nice flexibility. Light on his feet. Scored a touchdown on a trick play in 2019 and looked like a big tight end running:

BIG MAN TOUCHDOWN! Sam Cosmi in for six #HookEm 🤘 pic.twitter.com/CT4g5MmmPt
— CJ Vogel (@CJVogel_TFB) October 5, 2019

Improved as a pass blocker last season — didn’t merely fall back on his athleticism. Sets quickly and initiates contact. Displayed good pop with his hands and timed up his initial strikes well. Showed some good kick-slide ability, played with more of a flat back and maintained his leverage better. Will run wide rushers out of the arc and past the QB.

Pad level is typically very good, especially for such a tall tackle. Engaged his core and lower-body strength better as a drive blocker. Unleashes some toughness and nasty at times. Will deliver some big blocks.

Three-year starter with more than 2,500 career snaps at tackle. Experience at both positions — largely played right tackle in 2018. Played with more discipline in 2020 — went from 10 flags in 2019 to zero last season. Appeared to be more technically sound and made incremental improvements with each season.

Downside: Despite the athletic traits, speed rushers can tax him outside. LSU’s K’Lavon Chaisson stressed Cosmi with speed and inside moves in 2019. Oklahoma's Nik Bonitto and Isaiah Thomas walked him into the backfield several times.

A bit robotic in his approach — opens up similarly in pass-rush sets and gives opponents an easy read on his setup. Doesn’t vary hand placement enough. Technically savvy defensive linemen will exploit that over time.

Bends at the waist and will lose low-man battles to lower-cut opponents. Quality bull rushers can push him backward and disrupt the timing of the play. Doesn’t always fire off the ball the way you want to see it.

Finishing ability runs hot and cold — gets too passive at times. Attempts at physicality don’t always produce results. Doesn’t always get his legs into lateral blocks. Catches blocks and will stop his feet on contact. More of a wall-off blocker. Not yet a top-shelf drive blocker — has trouble putting defenders on skates.

Doesn’t always spot things he should. On this goal-line play against Iowa State, Cosmi blocks down initially, fails to spot the free rusher quickly enough and can’t recover to make the block:

Sam Cosmi fails to react to the end man crashing down hard, and it results in a tackle for loss.

Best-suited destination: Cosmi profiles as a possible rookie starter at left tackle, but he likely can’t hold up on an island early on. He could suffer through some rough patches while he adjusts to NFL speed and power, and might never be dominant. Cosmi has the feet, experience and athleticism to become a solid to very good blocker in this league, preferably in a system where they feature the zone run game and maximize his movement skills.

Did you know: Cosmi’s parents were Romanian immigrants, arriving in the United States when they were teenagers. Soccer was the first sport Samuel played extensively. His youth coach moved him to goalie, Cosmi explained in 2017, because he “got too aggressive, got too many red cards.”

That’s when Cosmi went to his mother, Rodica, to ask her if he could play football. She said yes, and after winning a championship in his first year of playing — earning a limo ride as first prize — football became his passion.

Player comp: Riley Reiff

Expected draft range: Top-50 pick

51. Georgia CB Tyson Campbell

6-foot-2, 185 pounds

Yahoo Sports draft grade: 5.87 — potential starter

TL;DR scouting report: Long, highly athletic man-cover corner who is ascending, even after a tough outing against Alabama

Games watched: Auburn (2020), Missouri (2020), Alabama (2020), Cincinnati (2020),

The skinny: A 5-star Rivals recruit (No. 25 nationally), Campbell was also a highly decorated track star. He played immediately in Athens, starting 11 of 14 games and making 45 tackles and one pass defended. As a sophomore in 2019, Campbell made 15 tackles and four INTs in nine starts, missing five games midseason with turf toe. In 2020, he grabbed his first career INT, adding 29 tackles (2.5 for losses) and five passes defended in 10 starts.

Upside: Possesses first-round traits — alluring combination of size and twitchy athleticism. Great length to reroute receivers and make life tougher on receivers at the catch point. Terrific movement for a player with his length.

Possesses make-up speed if receivers get a step on him — high school sprint champion (100 meters and 200) who can run fast and for days. Great stamina to chase speedy receivers for four quarters — rarely looks worn out.

One of the best hip flippers in this entire class. Transition ability is NFL-ready now. Good reaction skills mid-route.

Looks like a tailor-made man-cover corner in a league where man defense is en vogue again. Shadows routes easily with light feet and little wasted movement. Will plant his feet and drive on the ball. Can go vertical at the catch point.

Georgia defensive back Tyson Campbell is a man-cover prototype at corner. (AP Photo/Michael Woods) (ASSOCIATED PRESS)

Excellent tackler. Sure, sound wrap-up hitter. Longer frame and athleticism allows him to vacuum up tackles. Willing and able to hit on the outside and come up to support the run.

Faced battery of gifted receivers the past three seasons. Allowed more than 44 yards receiving in only one of his past 26 games. SEC quarterbacks rarely tested him — for good reason. Only 117 targets on 869 career coverage snaps, per PFF.

Still very young — just turned 21. His best football appears to be ahead of him.

Downside: Playmaking hasn’t fully developed — only one INT and nine passes defended in parts of three seasons. Struggles to find the football mid-flight. Face guarder who gets his head around late and fails to box out the receiver. Might never be a big ballhawk.

Doesn’t carry enough of an aggressive mentality — needs to be the dictator more often. Has struggled with confidence — beats himself up over missed plays. Handling man-coverage duties requires dealing with humble moments, and it could take a few years to unlock his full potential and poise.

Was undressed against Alabama — allowed DeVonta Smith (five first-down catches) and Jaylen Waddle (90-yard TD) eat him up when manned up. Couldn’t match physicality with Auburn’s Seth Williams. Had a sub-par bowl game against Cincinnati — allowed a TD and gave up too many yards after the catch.

Lean, wiry frame — could have trouble making way through the rigors of a 16-game NFL schedule unscathed. Can be blocked too easily. Will endure some technical errors the longer he’s asked to cover. Not as proficient in off-man or zone coverages.

Best-suited destination: In a league that often favors traits over production, Campbell won’t last long. He’ll be more appealing for man-heavier teams but could develop into a Cover 3 style of corner, too.

Did you know: Campbell was high school teammates with another top corner in this draft class, Alabama’s Patrick Surtain Jr. Their coach: Patrick Surtain Sr.

Player comp: Las Vegas Raiders 2020 first-rounder A.J. Terrell.

Expected draft range: Top-50 pick

More from Yahoo Sports:

ALL ORDS

ASX 200

AUD/USD

OIL

GOLD

Bitcoin AUD

CMC Crypto 200

AUD/EUR

AUD/NZD

NZX 50

NASDAQ

FTSE

Dow Jones

DAX

Hang Seng

NIKKEI 225

55. Texas EDGE Joseph Ossai

54. North Dakota State OT-OG Dillon Radunz

53. Purdue WR Rondale Moore

52. Texas OT Samuel Cosmi

51. Georgia CB Tyson Campbell

Latest stories